British Columbia’s largest classic boat festival is planned for the Victoria Inner Harbour on Labour Day weekend and is expected to attract up to 100 different classic boats and thousands of visitors. Each year, the festival helps to increase public awareness about the province’s rich maritime past that has helped shape the culture and heritage of Canada’s west coast for several generations.
All of the antique boats harken back to a bygone era when wooden boats filled local harbours. These exquisite boats, with their classic lines that have been meticulously cared for over the years, are like stepping back in time. Many boat owners are able to provide detailed accounts of their vessels from the day they were first launched and have many special stories to share with local visitors. The festival is organized by the Maritime Museum of British Columbia. Executive Director, David Leverton encourages visitors to take the time to stop by and speak to the owners and learn about the boats and our unique west coast history.
This year’s theme for the festival is Mishaps and Misadventures. Many of the classic boats plying BC waters have seen their fair share of mishaps and misadventures. How many have been caught out in water they wish they hadn’t; learned the hard way about high and low tides; had an anchor that got caught on an old abandoned logging cable or an anchor winch that gave out at the most inappropriate time; or heard the harrowing tale of a vessel that has run aground on a reef. Mishaps and misadventures are a part of life in the boating world and visitors can look forward to hearing stories about some of the funniest and most harrowing moments of life at sea for this year’s classic boats and their owners.
The festival is the largest event hosted by the Maritime Museum of British Columbia each year and is an important fundraising event. Admission is by donation and all of the proceeds go towards supporting the ongoing activities of the Museum in preserving British Columbia’s maritime heritage.
The festival runs from at 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, August 29th-30th, and from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 1st. For more information contact the Maritime Museum of British Columbia at http://mmbc.bc.ca/news-and-events/classic-boat-festival/about/ or call 250 385-4222 for more details.
